Colloidal mill



ep w. A. M LEAN 2,295,121

COLLOIDAL MILL Original Filed Jan. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hal 3mmMum/1 14 154W Sept. 8, 1942. w. A. MOLEAN COLLOIDAL MILL Original FiledJan. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STAT E S PTENT OFFICE common MILL ration of New York Griginal application January5, 1938, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 5, 1939,v Serial No. 298,126

Claims.

My invention relates to mixing and emulsifying devices for materialssuch as emulsions containing high percentages of oil, such asmayonnaise, salad dressing, insecticide emulsions, etc. The mixtures mayor may not be truly colloidal.

This application is a division of my co-pending case Serial No. 183,549,filed January 5, 1938.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which will quickly and simply make a homogeneous mixture, or acolloid, if desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction which issimple and durable and which is easily repaired and with parts easy toreplace.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a mixing mill whichhas a large output with small consumption of power and which gives adesired homogeneity to the final product.

With these and "other objects in view, which may be incident to myimprovements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to behereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that theseveral necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied inconstruction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicalefiect without limiting the improvements in their useful applications tothe particular constructions, which, for the purpose. of explanation,have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of one form of my mill;

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Each of Figures 3 through 5, inclusive, are illustrations showing insection mixing chambers and rotor constructions of different types ofmills, each of the drawings showing a diiierent' modification.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown in Figure 1 a support structure,generally designated by the numeral I, which is provided with supportspiders 2, and a base designated by the numeral 3. The base 3 is adaptedto lie on the casing 4 of an electric motor. The shaft of the motorprojects upwardly as indicated at 5, and is connected by means of acoupling 6 to a shaft l of a rotor member 8. The rotor 8 is afrustoconical element with a smooth surface. The

shaft 1 is journalled in the s pporting structure at a point 9. Abovethe point 9, and forming the casing, is a cylindrical aperture It inwhich are housed journal members II and I2.

Mounted over a cylindrical aperture l3 formed in the upper part of thesupport structure I is a cylindrical support element l4 which is held bymeans of nuts I5 screwed through brackets IS in the support structure Iin a position such that its interior surface is substantially in linewith the periphery of the aperture IS.

A support member I4 is provided at its top with screw threads ll.Mounted on these screw threads is a screw threaded annulus l8v which.

is adapted to be manipulated by operating handles 19.

Adapted to fit and slide up and down in, the annular support member I iis a chamber casting 29. This casting 28 is divided into a lower casting2%) which is provided with a fluid chamber 2i which is connected byapertures 22 to a fluid chamber 23 situated in an upper casting 24.

The castings 2G and 2'4 form an oval mixing chamber 25 which has anupper opening 26 through which the material is fed. This aperture isscrew threaded and adapted to receive a filling funnel or hopper 26'.The lower portion of the oval mixing chamber is provided with anaperture 21 which feeds into a chamber 28 having frusto-conical walls29.

The clearance between the rotor 8 and the walls 29 of the chamber 28 iscontrolled by raising and lowering the entire casing 26 by rotating thehandles [9 in order to move the annulus l8 to the desired position. Whenthe proper adjustment has been made, wing nuts 33 on bolts 36 may betightened to hold the adjustment fixed.

The rotor 8 is mounted in the chamber 28 and its upper surface isprovided with pins 30. These pins are of different heights, the tallestbeing mounted in the center of the rotor and the heights progressivelybecoming smaller towards its periphery. There is a centrally mounted rod3| which carries oval heaters 32.

Below the bottom of the rotor is a receiving chamber 35 which isprovided with a slanted chute-like element 36 against which the mixturefalls. The mixture, such as mayonnaise, flows down the chute element 36and out at the aperture 31. The chute element 36 is provided withapertures 38 through which steam or cooling liquid may be introduced asdesired.

In order to prevent splashing of the material, chamber 35 is closed witha cover plate 39 which is held in place by knurled nuts 40 which aremounted on bolts 4| carried by the support element I.

In operation, the required adjustment between the bottom of the chamber28 and the surface of the rotor 8 having been effected, the mixture ispoured into the mixing chamber 25 until the surface of the rotor iscompletely covered and, in fact, under certain circumstances, it is wellto have the entire mixing chamber 25 filled with the rough mixturebefore mixing is started. As the material passes into the oval chamber25, it is subjected to the action of the oval-shaped heaters 32 whichact upon the material. From there it passes through the aperture 21 intothe chamber 28 where the pins 30 act upon the material, and from thereit passes between the rotor 8 and the frusto-conical surface 29 fromwhence it is discharged.

In Figure 3 I have shown a mixing chamber casting 50 which is providedwith a chamber 51 and a frusto-conical chamber 52. There is a fluidchamber 53 to either heat or cool the material treated. The rotor 8 isprovided with propeller-like members 54 and upstanding pins 55 on thetop of the rotor. On the frusto-conical surface of the rotor are otherpins 55. These pins are in staggered relationship with pins 51 on thefrusto-conical surface 52.

In the form of mill shown in Figure 4 I provide a mixing chamberconstruction 60 having a conical chamber GI and a fluid chamber 62. Theconical chamber 6| contains a conical rotor 63 having pins 64 on itsupper surface lying in staggered relationship to the pins 65 formed onthe conical interior surface 6| of the mixing chamber.

In Figure is shown a mixing chamber construction 10 which is providedwith a fluid chamber H and mixing chamber proper 12 of cylindricalshape. There is provided in this construction a rotor 13 of globularshape provided with pins '14. Some of the pins 14 have lying betweenthem pins 15 fixed to the inner surface of the chamber 12.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself tothe precise details of construction herein set forth, by way ofillustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may bemade therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from thespirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for forming an emulsion such as mayonnaise, a mixingchamber comprising a stator member including a frusto-conical recessedportion, a frusto-conical rotor disposed in said recessed portion inspaced relation therefrom, an oval-shaped extension chamber mounteddirectly above said stator member, said oval shaped extension chambercommunicating with the mixing chamber through an opening having asubstantially smaller area than the area of the upper surface of therotor, a support centrally mounted on the upper surface of the rotor andextending through the said opening into said extension chamber, aplurality of bent rods mounted on the portion of the support within theextension chamber to form a beater, said rods being bent to formconcentric ovals in spaced relation, means to selectively adjust thedistance between said rotor and stator, and motor driven means to rotatesaid rotor and beater.

2. In a mechanism for forming an emulsion such as mayonnaise, a mixingchamber comprising a stator member including a frusto-conical recessedportion, a frusto-conical rotor disposed in said recessed portion inspaced relation therefrom, an oval-shaped extension chamber mounteddirectly above said stator member, said oval shaped extension chambercommunicating with the mixing chamber through an opening having asubstantially smaller area than the area of the upper surface of therotor, a support centrally mounted on the upper surface of the rotor andextending through the said opening into said extension chamber, aplurality of bent rods mounted on the portion of the support within theextension chamber to form a beater, said rods being bent to formconcentric ovals in spaced relation, the length of the minor and majoraxis of said beater being substantially the same as the correspondingaxes of said ovalshaped chamber, means to selectively adjust thedistance between said rotor and stator, and motor driven means to rotatesaid rotor and heater.

3. In a mechanism for forming an emulsion such as mayonnaise, a mixingchamber comprising a stator member including a frusto-conical recessedportion, a frusto-conical rotor disposed in said recessed portion inspaced relation therefrom, an oval-shaped extension chamber mounteddirectly above said stator member, said oval shaped extension chambercommunicating with the mixing chamber through an opening having asubstantially smaller area than the area of the upper surface of therotor, a support centrally mounted on the upper surface of the rotor andextending through the said opening into said extension chamber, aplurality of bent rods mounted on the portion of the support within theextension chamber to form a beater, said rods being bent to formconcentric ovals in spaced relation, two series of diametricallyopposed, radially aligned, vertical teeth mounted on said rotor, saidteeth being situated entirely within the mixing chamber and being insubstantially the same horizontal plane as the said centrally mountedsupport and progressively decreasing in height outwardly from saidsupport, means to selectively adjust the distance between said rotor andstator, and motor driven means to rotate said rotor and beater.

4. In a mechanism for forming an emulsion such as mayonnaise, a mixingchamber comprising a stator member including a frusto-conical recessedportion, a frusto-conical rotor disposed in said recessed portion inspaced relation therefrom, an oval-shaped extension chamber mounteddirectly above said stator member, said oval shaped extension chambercommunicating with the mixing chamber through an opening having asubstantially smaller area than the area of the upper surface of therotor, a support centrally mounted on the upper surface of the rotor andextending through the said opening into said extension chamber, aplurality of bent rods mounted on the portion of the support within theextension chamber to form a beater, said rods being bent to formconcentric ovals in spaced relation, the length of the minor and majoraxis of said beater being substantially the same as the correspondingaxes of said oval-shaped chamber, two series of diametrically opposed,radially aligned, vertical teeth mounted on said rotor, said teeth beingsituated entirely within the mixing chamber and being in substantiallythe same horizontal plane as the said centrally mounted support andprogressively decreasing in height outwardly from said support, means toselectively adjust the distance between said rotor and stator, and motordriven means to rotate said rotor and beater.

5. In a mill for forming an emulsion such as mayonnaise, a mixingchamber comprising a stator member including a frusto-conical recessedportion, a frusto-conical rotor disposed in said recessed portion inspaced relation therefrom, an oval shaped extension chamber mounteddirectly above said stator member so that each chamber has the samecentral axis, said oval shaped extension chamber communicating with themixing chamber through an opening having a substantially smaller areathan the area of the upper surface of the rotor, a rod centrally mountedon the upper surface of the rotor and extending verticallly through thesaid opening horizontal plane as the said centrally mounted.

support and progressively decreasing in height outwardly from saidsupport, means to selectively adjust the distance between the said rotorand stator, and motor driven means to rotate said rotor and beater.

WILLIAM A. McLEAN.

